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“It could be so much more than just a murder-- I mean rape, sodomy, kiddie porn, genital mutilation…” But don’t be afraid, it could be, but that doesn’t mean it is. Welcome to the world of “Todd, the Ugliest Kid on Earth”, a miniseries that some will find unsettling and others, at the very least, politically incorrect. And that’s what’s so unique about it. It is quite refreshing to see a creative team tackling on subjects that many would consider controversial. I don’t think it is gratuitous to find the name of filmmaker Todd Solondz in the “thank you” section. And clearly, the authors have found inspiration in Solondz, because as a director he has always pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in American movies. The twisted characters in Solondz’s Happiness, for instance, share a certain resemblance with the protagonists of “Todd, the Ugliest Kid on Earth”.

Kristensen and Perker, however, have included satire. And lots of it. With so much black humor, parody and a healthy dosage of sarcasm I have laughed many times. And I think this makes it easier for the reader to feel identified with this group of grotesque characters. Todd’s father is a homophobic and an alcoholic, but he is so over the top that you can’t help but to laugh at him, not with him, but at him. Todd’s mother is a promiscuous woman. Both parents are complete losers, but they don’t even know it.And what about Todd? The protagonist is just your average friendless kid except for one thing: he’s ugly, he’s very ugly. He’s so ugly that not even a serial killer specialized in murdering children takes him for a victim. He takes one good look at him and says, sorry but “I only kill beautiful children”. Talk about a sensitive homicide. After being framed, Todd ends up in jail. His chances of survival are slim, and when he’s in the shower with the other prisoners the classic “don’t drop the soap” moment takes place. However, only Todd’s innocence saves him from being assaulted as he bends over to pick up the soap. Quickly, one of the inmates decides to protect Todd’s life. Curiously, this particular character has been based on a man who actually went to jail and managed to redeem himself, this man was Danny Trejo’s friend as the actor confirms in a very interesting text.

Don't drop the soap / Que no se te caiga el jabón

Eventually, through a series of absurd and lighthearted peripecies, Todd is released, his father returns home, his mother stops having sex with men for free… and basically the status quo is preserved. I think this miniseries started with a very aggressive proposal, and somehow it got toned down. Nevertheless, it will become an ongoing, and I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, but I guess that’s the reason for maintaining plotlines as they were instead of taking the risk of pushing forward. I don’t think I’ll be picking up the ongoing series, but I wouldn’t discourage readers who want to try out what started as a very risky four-issue miniseries (be warned, though, this is not a typical comic and some might find it offensive).Perker has changed her usual artistic style, and instead of the more serious tone that we can find in her Vertigo’s series “Air”, here she takes exaggerated personality traits and turns them into a loose, cartoonish style that certainly befits this unusual tale. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________